large shoot question

leiftv

What is the easiest way to keep track of who you take photos of. I have a swim team to photograph that has about 100 kids on it. I want to make order forms but I'm not sure the best way to keep track of who I shot and what photo goes with what order. How do the large sports outfits do it?

Sam

I'll be interested to see what others have to say on this. The only think that comes to my mind is to have an assistant to keep a list of the swimmers, and write down the image file number next to the name for you to use when processing.

Sam

SavedByZero

For a simple solution if you don't have someone working with you is to have each kid write their name on a 8x10 white board with an expo dry erase marker and shoot that like a maker slate with them holding it under their face first and then shot the regular shots afterward.



May not be the best and most professional way but it's simple, cheap and should work effectively with any size group. I'd suggest 2 or 3 white boards, a pack of wide tip expo markers and a bottle of advil.

Manfr3d

Most photographers would defenitly not go the extra
mile and sort the images by name unless the kids had
a jersey number or sth. If you want to sort the images
this means alot of work and you need to identify each
face with a name/number.

Possible ways would be to get a names list and a groupshot
and have someone identify each kid on the photo with the
list. Or you could setup a video camera and have each kid
speak their name on tape (talk to the parents!) ... 100 kids
10 sec each. In any case this means alot of extra work after
the event. I doubt that this it is worth it unless your clients
are premium and pay premium.

If you're interested to sell on location also checkout this
thread at sportshooters.com

http://www.sportsshooter.com/message_display.html?tid=17216

SavedByZero

Manfr3d wrote:

Most photographers would defenitly not go the extra
mile and sort the images by name unless the kids had
a jersey number or sth. If you want to sort the images
this means alot of work and you need to identify each
face with a name/number.

?? How much extra work it it to fire off an extra shot??

DCSN-1300 slate shot of jason nesmith
DCSN-1301 to DCSN-1305 pics of jason

DCSN-1306 slate shot of tommy webber
DCSN-1307 to DCSN-1311 pics of tommy

DCSN-1312 slate shot of guy fleegman
DCSN-1313 to DCSN-1318 pics of guy

These are swimmer so I'm gonna gess no numbers on their team jackets and my method seems perfect for individual shoots of each swimmer.

Manfr3d

SavedByZero wrote:

?? How much extra work it it to fire off an extra shot??

The work is not taking the shot, the work is to organize the shoot and afterwards
sort thousands of pictures to 100 faces.

RustingInPeace

I use a variation of the white board
When I shoot soccer teams (max of 16 kids), I have them write their names and numbers on the outside of the order envelope that has the order and the MONEY! I use it just like a slate. First picture is a head shot with the slate. I'll run each kid through whatever poses we are going to do and then do the group shot at the end.

For soccer, basketball, or any sport that the players have numbers, I have them line up smallest number to highest.

When I get back to the studio I do the batch rename in bridge. While that's running I input all of the players into ACT.

One of these days I'll get around to purchasing some real studio software.

jonh68

The simplest way to do it is post pictures on smugmug and let the parents sort it out. There isn't a quick way of doing if you want to match names with every kid. You you really determine that by how much time you want to spend and the return you get from it.

The best way would be to get the eraser board. When I make cutlines for my freelance sports photos, much of my time is spent putting Id's to the pictures based on numbers and rosters. For around 100 kids, it's going be a long process. If you know you are going to get sales and it's not spec, price for the time it takes to ID. If it's on spec, put them on a web gallery and be done with it.

James Broome

Jimmy Smith shows up with his order form filled out. There are 2 four-digit boxes on the order form and 1 three-digit box. You write the file numbers for the images you shot of Jimmy in the four-digit boxes. In the three-digit box you write in the three-digit code for Jummy's team.

Jr. Varsity = 300
Varsity = 500

That way, everyone with a code of 300 is obviously on the JV squad. That makes it easy to keep teams together.

Once you've photographed everyone on the JV team, you bring them together for the team pic, pop off some shots, then rubber band the orders together. Everything rolled up with the rubber band is the JV squad.

When you get home, you process the images by the order forms. Find the four-digit numbers (file number). Those images belong to the kid whose name is on that order. Done.